


Switched roles

by ItzZaira



Series: UT!Skelebros [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Big Brother Papyrus (Undertale), Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Love, Comfort, Crying, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Magic, Nightmares, No romantic relationship!!!, Purring, Sick Character, Sobbing, Younger Brother Sans (Undertale)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2021-01-30 18:17:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21432619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItzZaira/pseuds/ItzZaira
Summary: Papyrus has a nightmare. Sans is the one to comfort for once.
Relationships: Papyrus & Sans (Undertale)
Series: UT!Skelebros [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1552723
Comments: 8
Kudos: 77





	Switched roles

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, first of: not a ship. I know some people ship them, I don't understand why (no hate) but this is not meant romantic, and not meant as a ship. It's just meant as brotherly love.  
Second: I see Papyrus as the older brother, and Sans as the younger, so I wil refer to Paps as the older one, and Sans the younger.

_Papyrus was scared. Very scared. He didn't know what to think when the docters told him Sans was falling down. His brother couldn't fall down- he just couldn't. Yet, the docter told him he was falling down. He was dying. And there was nothing Papyrus could do about it._

_He brought Sans home. His brother didn't move, nearly didn't speak, he could barely eat. And Papyrus could do nothing about it._

_He was so scared: If it was a human, a other monster, or littarly anything else, he would be able to save Sans. He **would **save Sans. But now? Papyrus can't save him from a sickness._

_He couldn't do anything._

_Papyrus felt so scared, so, so **hopeless.** He would do anything to save his brother, litarly anything, but it was a hopeless cause._

_A monster falling down was imposible to save._

_Papyrus needed to do, something. He protected Sans, he always did, he promised him from the moment he was born. And yet he could do nothing._

_Papyrus tried everything: healing magic, healthy food, good stories, staying, encouraging, and yet, Sans only got worse._

_The worst part? Every night, Sans would ask "when will I be normal again?" And Papyrus would just force a smile, and say "soon."_

_It broke is heart-, no, **soul**. _

_And then it happend._

_Papyrus was in the kitchen. He wanted to stay with Sans at all times, but just because they are skeletons, doesn't mean they don't get hungry: they still need to eat._

_Papyrus jumped when he heard a scream from Sans room, and flew to him upstairs._

_Papyrus was not ready for what he saw. His brother was on the floor, holding his chest in pain, looking panicked. The worst part? **His left arm started dusting.**_

_Papyrus waisted no time. "SANS!!" he screamed. "DON'T WORRY, I WILL GET YOU TO A HOSPITAL, JUST STAY STILL SO I CAN PICK YOU UP-"_

_"P-papyrus.." came a silent wisper. It broke Papyrus soul. His voice was pained, really sillent. But fear was good to hear in his voice._

_"I-I don't want to d-die.." Sans wisperd. _

_Papyrus gasped. "YOU WON'T." He said, full of determination._

_Sans looked at him, not believing. He then summond his soul._

_Sans' soul was destroyed. It had cracks, scars, magic was bleeding out. Sans HP was dropping quickly. Not that he had much HP to lose: he only had 1 health point._

_Papyrus became scared, far too well knowing that he couldn't save him, but he didn't care: He didn't care if it was the last thing he did, he would save Sans._

_Sans just whimperd, tears streaming down his face. "B-brother.. you..you promised.. you promised I would be o-okay. You promised I would be s-save"_

_The expresion Sans had was painfull: seeing his brother so hurt, so scared, nothing could hurt Papyrus more._

_"W-why did you lie..?" Sans asked shakely._

_"I didn't lie!!!" Papyrus whisperd/screamed. "Sans please, stay still, so that I can pick you up and bring you to an hospital!"_

_"It's too late for me.." Sans said. A laugh came out, what more sounded like a sob. "This is why I didn't want to tell you about this.. I didn't want you getting sad.."_

_"Sans-" Papyrus didn't get to finish what he was saying, because Sans collapsed to the floor. Papyrus screamed, trying to get him to wake up. No use._

_His HP had dropped to 0._

_And not 2 seconds later, his body turned to dust, only leaving the dusty jacked behind._

_The shatering of a soul could be heard after._

~~~

Papyrus jumped awake, falling of his bed. He didn't care. 

Sans was dead. He was dead. He fell down. Papyrus failed to save him. He couldn't save him. He failed. He failed as brother. He was supposed to make sure Sans was always save and yet he failed so badly-

But realization then hit him.

He woke up, just after his brother "dusted".

It.. i-it was just a nightmare..?

Papyrus wanted to laugh. He got so scared, thinking he lost Sans, thinking he failed as a brother, but he didn't. He looked at the clock. It was midnight, so Sans must be asleep.

A sigh of relief escaped him, but then he got scared again: what if something like that actually happend? What if Sans was hiding that he was sick?!

He wouldn't, Papyrus tried to tell himself, but knowing Sans, Papyrus knew be probaply would.

Wow. Now Papyrus understood Sans a little better: Sans often had nightmare's. Always saying they felt "too real to be fake." Papyrus now understood. 

Feeling way too scared, Papyrus decided to go to Sans room to check, to make sure he was alright. Though, Papyrus tried to stop himself. It was late, Sans was probaply tired, he should just let him sleep.

Then an idea formed in his head: he would just go to his room, see if he is okay, and then sneak back. It's not like it was hard, Sans was dead to the world when he slept.

With a plan in mind, Papyrus carefully got up, opening the door, trying to be as silent as possible. He sillently walked down the hall, but hesitated when he stood in front of Sans' door. Was this a good idea?

He asked him self: what did Sans always do in this situation?

Sometimes Sans would go to the older for comfort, telling what his nightmare was about. Sometimes Papyrus would hear Sans scream, going to Sans himself, so he could wake him up and comfort him. They always stayed togeter after that.

Papyrus was a little bit happy about the smaller coming to comfort for him. It was improvemend, he didn't hide that much anymore.

Papyrus couldn't wake Sans up, it was out of the question. Sans needed his sleep. But Papyrus alse needed comfort.

Sighing, he quietly opened the door, smiling softly when he saw the other asleep. He was not in pain, he wasn't dusting. The air and magic around the room were still too, thankfully. No nightmare's. He could sleep peacefully.

As much as Papyrus wanted to check his stats and soul, making sure his HP wasn't droping or that his soul was stable, he was way too scared of waking Sans up, so he didn't. Papyrus still felt a little scared, but he could deal with this on his own. He was the great Papyrus after all!

Just when he was about to close the door and go back to his own room, he heard a whisper. "Papyrus?"

Papyrus froze. He woke him up. Great.

"S-sans! Did I wake you up..?" Papyrus hesitantly asked.

Sans, now fully awake, got up, sitting on his bed. "Are you alright bro?" Sans asked.

Papyrus hesitated. He could just say he was fine so that Sans could continue sleeping-

And then he became horrified. He was becoming more like Sans. Hiding. That was one of the reasons he got that nightmare in the first place.

Not holding back anymore, he flung himself against his brother. "I-I am sorry, but are you alright brother? Any injuries?! Are you ill? Are you okay-"

"Paps?"

Papyrus looked at Sans, then at the ground. He didn't hold back the tears anymore.

"Y-you are.. okay.."

Sans looked worried at him, watching as Papyrus sunk onto his knees. Sans sat beside him. "Are _you_ alright bro?" Sans carefully asked, already sensing something was wrong.

Papyrus closed his eyes, having a pained expresion when he saw the dusted jacked again. He let out a little sob.

Sans carefully grabed his hands. "Papy please.. I can't help you if I don't know what is wrong."

"...I had a nightmare.."

"A nightmare?" Sans repeated, sounding concerend. Papyrus whined when Sans repeated his words, shaking and crying silently.

After a few second, Sans said something. "Glow with me."

Papyrus looked at his brother, question in his eye's.

"Glow with me" Sans repeated, his right eye glowing a soft blue.

Papyrus looked at him, and then his own eye's turned orange. His breathing calmed down a little bit.

"Thats it.." Sans wisperd, grabing Papyrus arms, pushing his magic. Papyrus felt his love, care, and concern go from Sans magic so his own soul. After a little while, Papyrus calmed down enough to stop trembeling. He was stil crying though...

"Wanna tell what happend?" Sans asked carefully. Papyrus whined when recalling te memory again, a whimper escaping him. Sans stil held his arms comfortingly.

"Y-you.." Papyrus started. "Y-you.. you died."

Papyrus could feel Sans tense, but he didn't say anything.

"Well, whatever killed me, it doesn't exist okay? After all, my brother is the gr-"

"You weren't killed."

Sans looked in confusion. "An accidental hit?" Sans asked. "Because you know how carefull I am, and I don't get into fights anyway."

Papyrus shook his head. "Y-you were... f-falling down"

Sans' eye's went wide. 

Papyrus let out a sob. "You only have 1 HP.. and you never tell me anything. W-what if 1 day you f-fall down? I can protect you from other monsters, attacks, even a human if I need to. I _will _protect you. B-but what if 1 day you, f-fall down, and don't t-tell me?"

Sans gasped when he heard that, feeling guilty. His brother shouldn't worry about the 1 HP garbage he is-

No. He promised himself and Papyrus that he wouldn't think bad of himself anymore. He should be comforting his brother, not thinking of himself trash.

Papyrus continued to cry and shake. While is eye's were closed, the orange magic stood out like a flame.

He nearly jumped when he suddenly felt something in his hands. Papyrus looked down, seeing a soul. Why did his soul come out all of a sudden?

Using his magic, he wanted to put it back. He looked confused when nothing happend. Sans' hands left his arms. Then realization dawned on him.

Papyrus looked at Sans disbeliefing, but his brother just smiled. He looked back at the soul, then at Sans again. That wasn't his soul. It was _Sans'._

He gently cuped the organ in his hands, being as carefull as posible. The soul didn't look like the one he had seen in his dream: in the dream, it had cracks, scars, a little bit blood, and it was bleeding magic. Now, it was glowing powerfull, it's white survice shining. It was also beating steady, like it was suposed to in the first place.

A check box suddenly apeared before him.

"Sans.." Papyrus whisperd.

"Come on bro" Sans said. "I know you want to check my stats, that is why you came, wasn't it? But I am PURfectly fine."

Papyrus didn't react to the pun, way too glad Sans was making them in the first place. Very gently holding the soul with one hand, he used the _check _with the other.

**Sans**

**HP: 1**

**ATK: 1**

**DEF: 1**

**-Very worried about his sibling **

**-stable**

Papyrus stared at the stats for a few minutes, then back at the soul. Very gently, he placed his thumb on the soul, rubing a little circle in it, trying to look for injuries. He was glad when he didn't find any.

Sans shiverd when Papyrus placed a thumb on his soul, then relaxed again. "Uh.. bro?" He asked.

Papyrus let go of the soul, and it flickerd back to Sans' ribcage. "S-sorry.. wanted to be.. sure.."

Sans eye's softend when he heard that.

He couldn't take it anymore. Papyrus had tears running dowm his cheeks again and he knew it. He crushed Sans as he again hugged him, starting to sob.

"Hey.. hey." Sans whisperd as he hugged back. But before he did, he gently grabbed 1 of his brother's hands, and placed it on his ribcage. After that he hugged him back, gently rubing his neck and the back of his skull. "Shh.. It's alright bro.. it was not real.. shhh.."

Papyrus couldn't help it. He felt so scared, because something like that could happen any day, any time. At first he didn't understand why Sans placed his hand on the others ribcage, but now Papyrud realized why. He could feel the steady beat of his brother's soul, assuring him he was alive.

It felt strange though. Normally Papyrus was the one to comfort, not the other way around. He hugged Sans thighter, sobbing harshly.

After a few minutes, he finally calmed down enough to stop crying. Though he was still shaking a bit, and had tears in the corners of his eye's.

Sans carefully broke the hug, gently cupping Papyrus skull in his hands, so that the other looked him in the eye. "Paps.. nothing like that will ever happen to me. Sure, I only have 1 HP, but that 1 HP is more stuborn then you think."

Papyrus smiled a little when he heard that. It then fell. Sure, but it could still happen.

Sans kept looking serious. "It won't ever happen. I _won't _fall down."

"Y-you.. you promise..?" Papyrus silently asked.

"I _promise_." Sans said without hesitation.

Papyrus relaxed a bit when he heard that, knowing how serious Sans was about promises. He tried to get rid of the remaining tears.

_**"Not real" **_Sans said. 

_**"N-not real" **_Papyrus repeated.

Sans smiled. He then looked at the clock, seeing how late it is. "How about we try to get some more sleep?" He asked.

Papyrus hesitated. "C-can you.. stay with me..?" He hesitently asked.

Sans smiled. "Ofcourse bro" he anwsered.

Papyrus relaxed a bit more when he heard that anwser. He got up, and carefully picked up Sans, before going to his own room.

Sans was suprised. "Uhh, bro? I can walk on my own"

"It's better this way." Papyrus anwsered. Sans wasn't dying. He was safe in his arms. He would protect him from any harm.

Sans looked confused but then hugged his brother instead, not asking anymore questions.

When they got to Papyrus room, Papyrus placed the smaller on the bed, lying beside him. He took some sheets and placed it over them both. After that he hugged Sans close, relief filling him.

When Papyrus hugged him Sans couldn't help but curl up and purr at the contact. He always felt save in his brothers arms.

Papyrus smiled when he heard the purr. His brother only purred when he was comfortable enough. Without really thinking, he started to rub Sans' spine.

Sans felt confused when he felt his brother rub his spine. "Uhm Papyrus? Shouldn't I be doing the comforting?" He asked, doing his best not to lean into the touches.

"This is comforting." Papyrus anwsered. It wasn't a lie. He knew Sans was safe now, and he could protect him from anything. He wasn't sick, and the steady beat of the others soul against his ribcage reasured him that he was healthy.

Sans felt confused, not understanding what the other meant. He tried, he really did. But then he closed his eye's, melting into the touches.

2 seconds later, he started to purr.

Papyrus smiled when he felt the other lean into his touches, and that smile grew when he heard the purrs. He carefully rubbed his spine, up to his neck and the back of his skull, and then back to his spine again. He didn't understand why he found this so comforting, maybe because Sans was now safe in his arms, but he continued anyway. 

Sans hugged Papyrus back, purring loudly. 

Papyrus just smiled, continueing with the action. Then he started thinking. He never had nightmare's before, this was a first, and it was very specific too. What if something was gonna happen?

Sans wouldn't fall down. He promised Papyrus after all. Sans was getting better too. He wasn't hiding that much anymore, going to Papyrus when he had a nightmare instead of hiding in his room.

Papyrus almost jumped when he felt Sans going limp in his arms, but when he checked, he smilled to see the younger asleep. He was curled up against his brothers chest, his skull was slumped against his chest aswel. Papyrus realized it was where his soul was. He smiled warmly. So Sans still liked the comfort of his soul's beats.

He carefully moved himself, lying down in a more comfortable position, holding Sans close. Sans was right. That dream was not real.

Papyrus didn't care. It could be a monster, human, magic, or even a sickness, he would protect his brother. He realized something: Falling Down could only happen when a monster had no hope left. Even if Sans didn't have HoPe, Papyrus would always be there to make it better: to save him. He silently promised.

After that thought, he closed his eye's, falling asleep, comforted by the smaller's soulbeat against his ribcage.

**Author's Note:**

> Soooooooo yeahh. Again, not a ship!!!  
Sorry if the story is weird. But I would think that if Papyrus had nightmare's, it would be about Sans falling down, because of his low HP. He wouldn't be killes by a human, he is protected by the great Papyrus afterall!!  
After that I would think that comforting his brother would ease his worries, knowing Sans was save in his arms.
> 
> English is not my first language (or auttocorrect ruins my life) so if you see any mistakes, please don't hesitate to tell me.


End file.
